Today's Entertainment

A revitalized 'Dallas' comes roaring back on TNT By John Crook © Zap2it J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) in "Dallas," which premieres Wednesday, June 13, on TNT, he's a frail old man living in an assisted living facility following an emo- tional breakdown. And for anyone who was a fan of the original series, which became an American pop culture phenomenon during its 1978-91 run on CBS, the natural reaction is: "Oh, no. I knew this was a mistake." Luckily, we're being set The first time we see up in that scene, because by the end of this two- hour premiere episode, Hagman's J.R. is a revital- ized lion in winter, ready and eager to renew his long-running family feud with brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy) over the future for- tunes of the Ewing family ranch, Southfork. Given the long list of years later and see where they were at this point in their lives and what had happened in the years since the show had gone off the air," she says. "It was a very natural transi- tion." Jesse Metcalfe, who stars as Bobby's adopted son Christopher Ewing and rotates top billing each week with Josh Henderson as J.R.'s son, John Ross, says he gets why so many eyebrows were raised at the news that "Dallas" was coming back. "I think all of us had the mantic disappointment with Elena Ramos (Jordana Brewster), who now is dat- ing John Ross. What few people know is that John Ross and Elena have been covertly drilling on South- fork, against the express wishes of the late Ewing matriarch, Miss Ellie, and they've just hit a gusher. That news immediately rekindles the old struggle for Southfork between J.R. and Bobby, who is determined to protect his mother's legacy. Part of the success of failed attempts to revisit former TV hits — here's looking at you, "Charlie's Angels," "Knight Rider," "Bi- onic Woman," "Fantasy Is- land" and countless others — it's easy to see why so many people were skepti- cal when executive produc- er Cynthia Cidre undertook this project, which she con- ceived not as a reboot or a remake but a continuation of the Ewing saga. "It just seemed natural to catch up with the Ew- ing family that we loved 20 same question: 'Was this a good idea?' " says Metcal- fe, previously best known for playing Eva Longoria's young gardener/lover on "Desperate Housewives." "We really didn't change the structure of the show, and the same compelling themes are in the new series: family dynamics, greed, ambition, love, loy- alty, all of those things. My doubts about being a part of this project were quickly soothed after reading Cyn- thia's incredible script and seeing how well-defined and dynamic these charac- ters were. I think we're all confident that we've done the original series justice, and fans of that series are going to be pleased." The premiere finds the Ewing family gathering at Southfork for Christopher's wedding to Rebecca Sut- ter (Julie Gonzalo) in the aftermath of a previous ro- this new "Dallas" lies in the skillful way that Cidre has devised strong storylines for young cast members Metcalfe, Henderson and Brewster while simi- larly keeping returning cast members Hagman, Duffy and Linda Gray, as J.R.'s ex-wife Sue Ellen, a vital part of the show, not mere tokens. For his part, Hagman speed of a fast Japanese train. They compress about five (of the old) shows into one. The original was really a stodgy old show, compared to this new one. But I think the attention spans of the American human being, and hopefully the world human being, have gotten a lot shorter, so you keep it shorter (on the show), I think." Born in Panama, Brewster, who came to the United States as the original show was ending its run, says she never saw the original "Dallas," but she definitely was aware of it because — well, really, how do you miss some- thing that massive? "I was very aware of the says he wasn't a hard sell when it came to the new "Dallas," which he even sees as an improvement in some respects over the old series. "I was approached, and my friends Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray were in- cluded in the package," explains the actor, now 80. "We talked and decided, 'Hey, it would be fun just getting back together, us guys,' and when they came up with the scripts, I was even more impressed by it. I think we've got a good shot at it again. "The only trepidation I theme song and the whole 'Who shot J.R.?' thing, and I knew who Linda and Patrick were and Larry," she says. "I mean, they're kind of inescapable, and it's worldwide. I did watch several of the original episodes, which was valu- able, because the original storylines are a part of the show, even though when you watch the show now, you can still follow if you didn't see the original show." As for Hagman, he's Catch the Craze & Save! Save on Rentals • Breakfast Get Free Glass Cleaner Save on a Quilt Find these great savings plus more on Coupon Craze! In The Goshen News every Monday, Online everyday! Nobody covers your hometown better 114 S. Main St., Goshen 574-533-2151 thrilled with the episodes he's filmed and thinks fans both old and new will enjoy them, too. "I hope to be on this have is that it goes with the www.goshennews.com show for another 13 years," he says with a chuckle. "This thing is going to drag me into my future. I'll be 94 by then!" Employment Ad Today! Place Your Over 3,500 resumes are posted on monster.com in The Goshen News readership areas. 574-533-2151 ext. 398 goshennews.com / 574.522.4475 www.GurleyLeepHonda.com "Dallas" premieres Wednesday on TNT. 2 The Goshen News • Viewer's Choice • June 9, 2012-June 15, 2012 Information on your doorstep source of information. At The Goshen News , you can find the latest local and business news , sports highlights, travel features, financial tips and more. Subscribe today! senior, newspapers are a great you're a teenager, a baby boomer or a Whether 533-2151 ext. 393

• Cover